Chapter 138:That Day

‘A plentiful harvest today.’  

Rain Ardriche smiled in satisfaction.  

He had met Duke Rahardt, the most talked-about figure on the continent, and discovered the master of the nightmare.  

With that, there was no longer any reason to stay at the banquet hall he had no other business here.  

Step. Step.  

Without looking back, he walked toward the door.  

“Is he leaving just like that…?”  

“…Right after arriving?”  

“As the rumors say, he really is an eccentric.”  

The murmurs of the high-ranking nobles reached his ears, but Rain paid them no mind.  

How could these primitive beings possibly comprehend the grand intentions of someone as great as himself? Expecting otherwise would be absurd.  

Had he ever seen a human request something from a mere insect?  

Had he ever hoped for recognition from a beast?  

Of course not.  

Rain Ardriche was no different.  

Then, as he was about to leave, his eyes met those of a woman.  

Her pupils were the color of blood.  

The moment he saw them, he immediately knew who she was.  

‘The Obsidian Saintess.’  

Francia Ferbache.  

The woman who would lead him to the pinnacle of celestial mastery.  

The one he needed most.  

His top priority.  

Smirk.  

With a faint, twisted smile, Rain glanced at her once before stepping out of the banquet hall.  

Then, with a snap of his fingers, a portal leading to the Magic Tower materialized in the air.  

Before returning, he took one last look at the imperial palace.  

A golden palace stood resplendent, radiating a brilliant light.  

Soaring spires reached for the sky, and intricately carved golden gates gleamed in the sun.  

A grand and beautiful structure flaunting Rozino’s majesty.  

‘I wouldn’t mind seeing this place crumble, either.’  

But if he had to choose, wouldn’t it be better to strike Ferbache first?  

That would bring him closer to his ultimate goal.  

Destroying the imperial palace and engulfing the empire in flames wasn’t a bad idea, but it wasn’t exactly the most rational approach.  

His targets were Duke Rahardt and the Obsidian Saintess.  

Of course, even if war broke out between the Magic Tower and all of Rozino, the tower wouldn’t lose.  

But there was no need to expand the battlefield right from the start.  

‘Yes, let’s destroy the Ferbache territory.’  

Having made his decision, Rain let out a quiet chuckle and returned to the Magic Tower.

*    *    *

As the banquet came to an end and they made their way back to the Rahardt estate, the carriage wheels rolled steadily along the path.  

The ride itself was not uncomfortable.  

After all, the carriage had been a gift from the emperor to commemorate his ascension as a duke.  

However, an odd silence filled the air.  

Both Yohan and Francia were lost in thought.  

Rain Ardriche.  

The Master of the Magic Tower.  

The most dangerous person.  

The one they had to be most wary of.  

Though no secrets had been exchanged, both Yohan and Francia understood this fact, leaving them deeply troubled.  

Even though he had acted somewhat differently than before, the fact remained he had taken an interest in them.  

“…You met with the Master of the Tower, didn’t you?”  

Francia was the first to break the silence.  

“What did you two talk about? He left right after speaking with you.”  

“It was just a simple greeting. He also mentioned that I should visit the Magic Tower sometime.”  

Yohan loosened his stiff expression and smiled lightly.  

“Hmm… He seems to be quite fond of you. That doesn’t sound like something he would normally say.”  

“I’ve also heard that’s not his usual nature, but… I don’t think it was kindness.”  

“…What do you mean?”  

“He was harboring killing intent.”  

On the surface, Rain appeared merely curious, even friendly.  

But Yohan had noticed it the murderous intent hidden behind that smile.  

“Was he like that from the beginning?”  

“Yes.”  

Yohan’s eyes narrowed slightly.  

“When one reaches the realm of transcendence, it’s natural to become more sensitive to such things. But the Master of the Tower… his killing intent was particularly strong. It wasn’t something he could suppress, even if he tried.”  

If it was that overwhelming despite his efforts to conceal it, just how deep did it run?  

Yohan couldn’t help but wonder what was going on inside Rain’s head.  

After all, they had barely interacted before.  

“…I see.”  

A shadow fell over Francia’s eyes.  

At this point, one possibility came to mind.  

The chance that he was beginning to recall memories from before the regression.  

‘Yes… When Rudbeckia regressed, the Master of the Tower’s magic must have returned with her.’  

It wasn’t entirely impossible.  

If magic that had traveled back in time returned to its original owner, it might trigger some of his past memories.  

In a way, part of Rain’s mind had undergone regression as well.  

Still, Francia had no intention of blaming Rudbeckia.  

If anything, this meant a chance for revenge against him had finally presented itself.  

But—  

‘…Can I really defeat him with just artifacts?’  

A vague sense of unease crept in.  

She wasn’t certain she could kill him.  

Rain Ardriche was a monster among monsters.

A man capable of waging war against an entire nation alone.  

He was on a completely different level from figures like Archbishop Cain or Crown Prince Fedelian.  

It was true that the Sword of Judgment, Gladius Luminus, was an artifact powerful enough to slay even transcendents.  

But would it actually work on him?  

On the transcendent of transcendents?  

‘…I’ll think about this later. For now, I need to finish recharging Luminus’ magic.’  

Francia turned to Yohan.  

“Did seeing the Master of the Tower stir anything in you?”  

“What do you mean?”  

“Anger, irritation anything like that.”  

“Hmm… Not really. I don’t think so.”  

“…I see.”  

Unlike the Master of the Tower, had Yohan recalled nothing at all?  

That would make sense.  

Before the regression, Yohan’s magic purity hadn’t been that high.  

Most of it had likely scattered in the process of crossing time.  

Perhaps only the emotions he felt at the moment of his death had managed to make it through.  

“Well, don’t worry too much. Things will work out.”  

Yohan smiled gently as he reached out and stroked Francia’s hair, noticing the tension still lingering on her face.  

“For now, let’s stay on guard and keep an eye on the situation.”  

“…Alright.”

In truth, simply observing wasn’t the best course of action.  

Attaching spies to the Master of the Tower or gathering information on him was nearly impossible.  

By the time he made a move, it was already too late.  

But that didn’t mean she could reveal the fact that they had regressed.  

She couldn’t even begin to predict what might happen if she did.  

‘What should I do…’  

Francia bit her lip.  

The real issue was that they had no control over the situation.  

Only she and Rudbeckia knew the truth. 

That the Master of the Tower was utterly insane.  

She could leverage the Ferbache name to make it harder for him to act freely,  

but if she made the wrong move, things could spiral even further out of control.  

There was still too little information about him.  

‘…For now, I have no choice but to rely on the Celestial Mage’s artifacts.’  

She couldn’t watch him directly, but she could at least track his movements.  

“…”

As Francia came to her decision, Yohan tapped the armrest of the carriage sofa with his fingertips.  

Despite his reassuring words, he wasn’t taking things lightly either.  

If anything, his vigilance had only heightened.  

‘Should I make the first move?’  

The Master of the Tower had invited him to visit.  

If he went, he might be able to gauge his true intentions.  

It was the most straightforward approach,  

but not necessarily the smartest.  

The Magic Tower was his stronghold.  

If he decided to kill him on the spot, Yohan would have no way out.  

He let out a short sigh.  

‘…For now, I should just focus on the present.’  

Nothing had been decided yet.

*    *    *

Rahardt Imperial Mansion was busier than ever.  

“Hurry up!”  

“Is the table set?!”  

“Our fate depends on today!”  

In the front yard of the mansion, the servants bustled about, making final preparations for his visit.  

The attendants straightened the new recruits’ outfits, while the stewards hurriedly tidied up the mansion inside and out, striving to minimize any mistakes.  

In the hallways, whispers and cautious footsteps filled the air.  

“So, the day has finally come.”  

“It’s the day His Grace’s father-in-law is visiting.”  

“Even the Duke must be nervous.”  

“But… does he know about the polygamy?”  

“Shh! That’s not something to talk about carelessly.”  

Though tension hung over the mansion, no one could stop the murmurs spreading among the servants.  

And all their speculation boiled down to a single question.  

[Does Duke Ferbache know that Duke Rahardt practices polygamy?]  

It was an open secret within the household.  

Anyone working in the Rahardt Imperial Mansion knew that the true mistress of the estate was not Lady Ferbache but the silver-haired woman.  

Every servant was aware of this, yet the secret never leaked beyond the mansion walls. That was because of the confidentiality agreement they signed upon entering service.  

If an outsider heard the truth, execution.  

If an insider spoke of it, execution.  

It was a terrifying contract, but as long as one kept their mouth shut, the pay was unmatched.  

For that reason, many were more than willing to work at Rahardt Mansion.  

“But… what would happen if he really was hiding the fact that he has multiple wives?”  

A newly hired servant asked with innocent curiosity. She was a young girl who had come to Rahardt Mansion to support her debt-ridden family.  

“This place would turn into a battlefield…”  

“Duke Ferbache would probably explode in rage.”  

“Well, we’d better just keep our heads down and stay out of it.”  

The older servants nodded knowingly, folding their arms. Each imagined the chaos that would unfold if Duke Ferbache discovered the truth.  

“Still, wouldn’t he already know? It’s a huge matter.”  

“Well, I suppose His Grace must have told him by now.”  

“He is our master, after all. This must be a settled issue already.”

Still, most of the servants leaned toward the belief that Duke Rahardt had already informed Duke Ferbache about his polygamy. After all, it was unthinkable that he would still be hiding such a crucial matter.  

“Let’s just focus on our own work.”  

“Still, just in case, find a good hiding spot.”  

“Haha, the kitchen’s a great place to hide.”  

With lighthearted jokes, the servants dispersed to their respective tasks.  

However, someone had been secretly listening to their conversation.  

‘So even you guys think this is a disaster, huh?’  

—It was Yohan.  

He had merely intended to take a stroll to relax, but as he approached the door leading to the garden, he overheard the mansion’s servants talking.  

And what do you know?  

They, too, predicted that this would turn into a battlefield.  

‘Damn it, I should’ve told him sooner.’  

Yohan rubbed his forehead with his fingertips, feeling as if cold sweat was trickling down his skin.  

If only he had spoken up back when he first took in Rudella, things wouldn’t have gotten so complicated. Duke Ferbache was a rational man he would have accepted it under reasonable circumstances.  

But now? It was a different story. The first child had been born to Rudella, not Francia. And on top of that, a third concubine, Rudbeckia, was likely to enter the picture.  

Even the servants were saying, ‘This isn’t right’. That alone meant it was already a lost cause.  

Of course, it wasn’t as if he had deliberately hidden the truth. He had simply been too busy, and the timing had never felt right. But who could have predicted things would spiral this badly? Yohan clutched his head.  

‘Forget it. There’s no choice but to face this head-on.’  

It was daunting, but he couldn’t keep this a secret forever.  

Yohan took a deep, steadying breath.  

If he explained the full story behind accepting Rudella, the Duke would surely understand.  

As for Rudbeckia and the firstborn… well, he might have to endure a few blows for that.  

“Phew.”  

Just as Yohan let out a deep sigh.  

Tick—  

The pocket watch in his coat clicked as it struck the hour.  

Duke Ferbache his father-in-law had arrived.